What type of check does CRC perform?

Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) performs a mathematical transformation on data. It involves using polynomial division to generate a checksum based on the data being transmitted or stored. This checksum is a shorter, fixed-size binary value that serves as a fingerprint for the original data. When the data is sent or retrieved, the CRC algorithm is applied again to check whether the computed checksum matches the original one. If they match, it indicates that the data has likely not been corrupted during transmission or storage.

The mathematical basis of CRC allows for quick and efficient error detection, making it a widely used method in networking and data storage systems to verify the integrity of data. This process is crucial for ensuring reliable communication and data integrity in various applications, ranging from network packets to storage devices.